Friday, December 3, 2010

Strigoi

Appearance: Undead corpses or else living people often having red hair and blue eyes

Lore: There are two types of strigoi, the living and the undead. The living version of strigoi are more closer to the concept of witches than vampires and possess supernatural powers. These living strigoi often have red hair and blue eyes and may have been born with a caul, or membrane over the head. An interesting difference between a normal human being a living strigoi is that living strigoi are believed to have two hearts. When a living strigoi dies he or she is more likely to become the undead variety of strigoi. The undead version of strigoi are people who were either living strigoi that died or people who led sinful lives, committed suicide, or who died untimely deaths such as through murder. Other superstitions include undead strigoi being created when animals, especially cats, jump over a corpse. When strigoi attack humans they are more likely to attack spouses and family first before moving on to strangers. (This may indicate the belief in strigoi is based on diseases or plagues being spread in the family first, and then to the outer community.) Both living and undead strigoi feed of of human victims, either by draining their victim's blood or life-force. If an undead strigoi manages to elude detection and destruction by human hunters then after seven years it will transform into a being that looks completely like a normal, living person who can walk around by day.

Powers: Strigoi have the ability to shape-shift and can transform into any number of animals. Strigoi use this ability in order to gain access to their victims as well a to escape human hunters. Strigoi possess the power of invisibility and possess incredible strength. Living strigoi are witches who possess supernatural powers which include the power to leave their bodies in spirit-form and travel in search of victims.

Protection Against Strigoi: The standard protective means against vampires work against strigoi. Garlic, salt, holy water, crucifixes, and holy relics, can be effective. Additional measures are used to keep the undead strigoi in their graves, such as piercing the corpse with needles or spikes. The most traditional way of destroying an undead strigoi include staking the heart and burning of the body. When the body is burned one must be extremely vigilant for the demonic creature will shape-shift into all manner of creatures and insects. If but one of these creatures manages to survive then the strigoi will eventually return.

WANTED: YOUR STORIES OF REAL MONSTERS!Have you had an experience with a real monster or paranormal/supernatural creature or entity and want to tell someone about it? -Then email me! I love hearing people's stories with the unknown. Depending on your permission, I may even use your story in a blog entry.
Also, if you are an individual who identifies as a Witch, Vampire, Werewolf, Fairy, Alien or other supernatural being, feel free to shoot me an email as well and tell me about your experiences. I would love to interview you! Your anonymity, if so chosen, is guaranteed.
Email your experiences to:TheDemoniacal@Yahoo.com

About Me & A Warning

I'm a lover of folklore. As a child I loved reading or hearing about so-called 'real life monsters'. Back then I truly believed that monsters were hiding behind every corner and in every bush. Now that I'm grown, I take a more agnostic approach to such tales. I think it's important to touch on the nature of folklore and how one should approach it. It would be a disservice unto folklore to approach it as having a 100% basis in reality. Instead, the proper way to approach folklore is to perceive it as if occurring in an alternative reality or parallel universe. Sure, these tales are magical and intruiging, but they also have a dark side, or should I say, people do. People who can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality have been inspired by folklore to harass, abuse, and even kill people. Just think of all the people who have been executed for being witches and werewolves. Did such women actually fly through the air to have sex with the devil and eat babies? Did men actually don a magic wolf's pelt to transform into a beast and stalk the night? According to many the answer would be, 'Yes'. I'm not trying to destroy folk tales, instead, I believe it's important to put them in their proper place. The purpose of folklore is to entertain, to fascinate, to escape from the harshness or doldrum of everyday existence, a nice harmless scare. Sometimes folklore is also a means of protecting small children by scaring them into remaining close to home and away from danger. Folklore is magical. Monsters are magical. Let's not forget that when searching for monsters the first place we should look is in the mirror. Sometimes the monsters are indeed out there. However, often they are a lot closer to home than we would like to admit.